Electric water-heater.



H. N. ROCHE. ELECTRIC WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 21, 1909.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FEICE.\,\

. HERBERT N. ROCHE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS B.GRAY,

. or SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug.

To all it may concern:-

Be it known that I, .Hnnennr NOSWORTHY Roo nn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residmg in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in-Electric/Vatereaters, of which the following is a specicat1on.- This inventionrelates to water-heaters, and pertains particularly to instantaneouselectric heaters.

The-object of my invention'is to provide an electric water-heater thatwill fully meet and satisfy theexactmg requirements of boards of fireunderwriters, and municipal building regulations relating to electricalapparatus; to provide, in combination with an electric water heatingunit, mechanism stantaneously closed after whereby astandard snap switchis actuated in unison with and automatically by a water-controllingvalve,- and torovide mechanism whereby an electric circuit is inadesired volume of liquid is permitted to flow through the heater and bywhich thecircuit is'broken just before the flow of fluid ispreventing'the burning out of the coils. ther purposes of the inventionwill be setforth in the specification.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationofyparts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,.havingreference tothe accompanymg drawings, 1n WlllCh- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the device, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a central,'vertical section partially in elevation. -Fig. 3 is a plan view of theswitch mechanism.

. Fig. 4 1s a perspective of a standard, two- 1e sna switch. F1 5 is aerspective of ilfe coup ler. Fig. 6 is a secti bnal view of same. -Fig.7 isa section on line w-a: Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail of the racks andpinions. F1g.-.9 is a perspective of a portion of the. coil insulator.An important feature of my invention is inltheemployment of a suitablesnap switch, as for instance a form of which is shown at 2, secured-to acap 3, of suitable insulatincandescent ing material, forming a cover fora waterrece1ver'4.

The switch andreceiver are inclosed in-a;

casing 5 having a crown 6-surmounted by an stopped, thereby posts 20-21,thus,

hght'bulb '7. The lower. end" 6 shown closed, be opened water'will' pas:up rdly through the perforated bottoiv 9-i1 a the receiver 4, and aroundand between suitably connected, heating coils 13 nested in 14, thencedownward througha central insulated pipe l5, and escaping through anadjustable, removable spout 16 connected to thebase 9. The terminals 17of the are conveniently fastened in appropriate binding-posts 18, in thecap 3 of the water-' receiver-4, and the posts 18 are suitablyconnected, as by lead wires 19, to spring posts 20 of the switch 2.provided with other spring posts 21 to which are secured the main feedwires.22 which are brought up through the base 9 and within the casing5, and when the usual rotary switch-stem blades 24 will snap rectioninto and out If .the valve,

successively in one diof contact with spring when in contact, completinga circuit from one main across the switch, through the across theswitch, and .out over the other main.

It may here be stated that to the posts 20 are secured conductors 25-26leading to the lamp 7 which consequently will be lighted 90' wheneverthe coil circuit is closed.

An essential and important feature of my invention resides in providingmechanism in combination with the switch which will be reliable.effective and safe in opera- 95 tion; and which may be manipulated, witha very small exertion of energy, in conjunction with the valve 11. It ismy aim to permit the valve to be opened dan er of short-circuiting thecircuit-closing mechanism, or of closing the circuit; and to insure theinstantaneous operation of the switch as ,the flow-of water iscut oil.

Suitable means may be employed to trans- 105 -'o.wer from the valve stem12 t'o'the 2, and to this end I secure to the mit switc valve-stem apinion 27 engaging a rack 28;.

atubular insulator series of coils 13 The switch is also '75 23 isturned, the switch coils l3, thence again to nearly its fullextent-without 2 corpse slidable in a bearing 29 secured to the base 9;The rack extends upwardly Within the casing 5, and is connected by a rod30 to a plate 31 hearing short racks 32-33 guided in a frame 34 fastenedto the cap 3, Figs, 1 and 3. The racks 32 -and 33 are shown as beingplaced out of line, relatively, and

each is dapted to mesh, on'opposite sides,

with fl nged pinions '353 6, .which are loosely mountedupon a shaft orcoupler 37, journaled in the. frame as, Fig. -6. The couplershaft' 37 isthreaded as at 38, and is screwed upon the switch stem 23, and hasfastened uponit flanges 39 and 20' abutting 15.

the adjacentactuating pinions 35-36 respectively. The pinion 35 carriesa sprin pressed pawl 35 adapted to engage shoifiders 41 on the flange39, and likewise the pinion 36 carries a pawl 36' adapted to engageshoulders 42 on the flange so.

The operation of the switch-throwing mechanism is then as follows; Whenthe valve stem 12 is turned to permit the water to flow, it raises therack 28 and the racks 32 and 33 turn their coacting pinions 35 and 36 in.opposite directions, the pawl 35' fall ing into engagement withshoulder 4.1 on

the, flange 39, and thus turning the coupler shaft 37 clockwise. Thevalve stem 12 may be turned to allow the desired volume of water flowfrom the spout 16, without being heated, and if it is desired to heatthe water the valve stem is turned tothe fullest extent, and just beforethe limit of in. tion is reached the pawl-driven coupler-shaft 37turnsthe switch stem 23 suficiently to allow the switch-blades 24 tosnap around and close the electric circuit through the heating coils 13.The switch remains in this closed position untilthe valve-stem 12, beingturned down to stop the flow of water rotates the pinion 36 carrying itspawl 36 upwardly into engagement with a shoulder 42 on the flange of theshaft 37, and just 45 prior to the-closing of the valve 11, the

coupler 37 will throw the switch 2 and break the heating circuit. Asstated the racks 32 and 33 are disposed on opposite sides of thepinions, and these are loose-on the shaft 37,

5 consequently the pinio'nswill turn in o posite directions at each recirocation 0 the rack-rod 30. The pawl. 35 turns the shaft 37 each timethe rod is raised, and the pawl 36 is efi'ective to turn the shaft inthe same direction each time the rodis lowered.

has been closed,- it remains so until the valve. I

is nearly closed when the snap switch is actuated and interrupts thecircuit.

To protect the apparatus against damage from the possible contingency ofthe lack of water in the service system, I may provide 'at a convenientpoint in the coils 13, within the receiver, a fuse or its equivalent 4.3which will melt and sever the continuity of poil circuit in the absenceof water at the use. g

- It is understood that whe're reference is made to insulating materialin this specification that any suitable substance best adapted to therequirements may b employed.

The bulb 7 serves as a means for indicat- 3 ing that the circuit isclosed, and for general illumination, while the hot water 1s runningfrom the 'valve. The structure provided enables a erson to so open thevalve as to obtain near y the full capacity of the service withoutoperatin the switch, and also enables one to so reduce the volume ofwater discharged from so the nozzle that the entire heating efficiencyof the coils may be' utilized to heat this small volume to the-desiredtemperature.

F i 9 shows extensions of insulating tubes for t e purposeof protectingthe terminals from water contact.

insulating the heating unit from the metal bottom of the tubes.

The extension ofthe tubes at the bottom is for the purpose of Suitableinsulation is placed between the ap aratus and the water pipe.

aving thus described my invention, what Iclaim and desire to. secure byLetters Patent isa receiver, inlet and discharge connections thereto,an, electric heating unit in said'receiver, a rotatable snap-switch, andmeans including a longitudinally mo able member 1. In a water heater,the combination of associated with the inlet connection, and a memberengaged and rotated thereby and connectible to the switch.

2. In an electric water-heater, a receiver,

an inlet valve and a discharge connection for the receiver, an electricheating unit in the receiver, a snap switch, a con ler therefor, andmeans operatively connecting said coupler and the valve, said'meanscomprising a slidably mounted rack connected to the water valve, apinion engaged and rotated by .1

said rack, and connections between the pin ion and a member of theswitch. 3. An electric water-heater comprising-a water-receiver, anelectric heating unit there- 1n, a valve for controlling. the flow ofwater through the receiver, a'sna switchoperative to connect said unitan ma1ns,-a coupone direction, and means connecting said"- -ler shaftadapted to operate the switch in shaft and the valve. said meanscomprising 1 a slidably mounted rack conf ected to the -.water valve, apinion engaged and rotated and connections between the by said rack, andconnections between the pinion and a member of the switch.

4. In a Water-heater, an electricheatin unit, current supply mains, asnap switch adapted to complete an electric circuit through said unitand said mains, and means operative in conjunction with a supply valveof the water-heater whereby the switch is closed whenwater is admittedto the heater, and is opened when the valve is closed to cut oil thewater, by intermittent rotation in one direction, said means comprisinga slidably mounted rack connected to the water valve, a pinionengaged'and rotated by said rack, plnion and a member-of the switch. 7

5. In a water-heater, a water-receiver, a valve controlling the flow ofwater into said receiver, an electrioheating unit contained in thereceiver, electric feed mains, a switch interposed between said mainsand said unit,

a coupler for said. switch, and mechanism adapted to operate saldcouplerin one direction, said mechan sm including pawl-carryingipinions looseon the coupler, and racks for said pinions connected to the valve.

6. l'lhe combination in a Water-heater of a water-container, an electricheating unit, an electric current-controlling switch, acock controllingthe water supply, a pair of pinions loosely turnable upon a shaft, rackbars actuated in unison with the turning of the cock to turn the pinionsin opposite directions, connections between the pinion shaft and thesnap switch, and pawls adapted to act alternately to rotate the switchin a single direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

HERBERT N. ROCHE. IVitnesses:

Gno. H, STRONG,

HARLES EDELMAN.

